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US presidency - Coggle Diagram
US presidency
Sources of power for the president
Informal
Informal powers are any powers that do not come directly from the Constitution.
Electoral mandate
Some presidents are elected with a strong majority that is used to justify their policies to Congress, this is why the president is most successful during the first 2 years (Congress renews its mandate during mid-terms.)
If the president has also won/holds Congress then passing their policies will be easier as they will face less partisan opposition.
Executive orders
Executive orders are legal orders sent by the president to the executive branch for them to cary out (no need for Congressional support).
Limitations
These can not create new policy/law
if the Supreme Court feel that it has created a new policy then Congress must vote on it.
There can be popular out cry.
Examples:
Obama attempted to use executive orders to reform DAPA/DACA was blocked by the Courts.
Trump's immigration executive order to limit migration from some Muslim countries was blocked repeatidly by the Courts until the president created one the Court could accept (
Supreme Court infleuncing public policy
).
Bill Clinton used executive orders to create councils to deal with Y2K and HIV/AIDS and he had to use them to perform foriegn policy.
EXOP
National events
National events can reduce the amount of time that a president can focus on their original agenda.
Obama was forced to change course when the 2008 financial crisis meant that he had to stop trying pass his healthcare reform and instead had to pass economic stimulus.
Cabinet
Cabinet is made up of the VP and the heads of the 15 cabinet departments, the chief of staff and head of the OMB.
Powers of persuasion
Formal
Head of State
This means the president is the chief public represenative for the USA.
This gives the president ceremonial and diplomatic dutues such as leading the nation during a crisis and recieving foriegn dignitries.
This has become more powerful with the rise of national media which increases the coverage of the president and makes it eaiser for them to lead the country,
Head of government
The president has unlimated constitutional control of the executive branch and they can use this to produce policy, achieve political goals and put policy into practise.
Under the presidents control is the cabinet and EXOP.
The president appoints 3000 people to federal posts who are expected to serve the president's wishes.
The president is granted the powers of the Chief Diplomat as well as Comander and Chief (granting the president power of the military), however, Congress has funding powers over the military and has the power to declare war.